4 mo DS no longer STTN - need solids? growth spurt?

Hi all!
DS (#2) is just over 4 months now. Nursing has gone swell from the very beginning (which was NOT the case with my first - but I won't go there).
#2 was born totally average size, but grew fast! Gained FOUR pounds first month, and FOUR pounds the second month, more than doubling his birth weight by 2 mos. He actually STTN at 3 months, I'm talking 12 hours straight! I was beside myself. My first did not do that until he was well over a year old!

The past couple of weeks, though, DS has been waking multiple times a night again to feed. We have a pedi appt on Monday, and I suspect the doctor is going to tell me DS needs to start solids, because of his size and the change in sleep pattern. I'd rather hold off a couple more months - but of course I don't want to deprive DS of more calories if he needs them.

Any thoughts? Could this be a growth spurt? This is how my body knows it needs to increase production, right? Could DS STTN again once the spurt is over? Or maybe it's not a growth spurt, and he just needs to eat more often now that he's so much bigger?

I'm not sure what his current size is... he almost fits 12-month clothes, and he's got to be close to 20 lbs. now. He has plenty of wet diapers, and he poops once every several days. I only nurse - no formula or bottles.

Re: 4 mo DS no longer STTN - need solids? growth spurt?

Ah, you fell into the trap that I fell into -- thinking that because LO slept through the night early on that it would last! My LO slept through the night, about 10-12 hours, starting around 8 weeks. She was gaining well and had lots of wet and poopy diapers, so I wasn't concerned about her going that long without nursing. I also got up to pump once during the night to keep my supply maintained. Around 12 weeks she was waking maybe once a night (when I went back to work). Then around 16 weeks we were waking up anywhere from 2-10 times a night. We are still waking up at least once a night, usually twice, and my LO just turned 2 a month ago. I think the start of teething prompts this change in sleep patterns, at least for us. So I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think you just had that lucky 2 months of rest that many moms don't get, but it was never meant to last!

The good news may be that the people I know whose kids never had that long stretch seem to have worse sleepers overall. I have 2 friends whose LOs woke up every 90 minutes for about 18 months. They both lost it around that time and did sleep training. My LO started sleeping better on her own around 18 months, falling asleep more easily most nights and having longer stretches. So maybe there is hope for the future!

Mom to my sweet little "Pooper," born 10/12/11, and "Baby Brother," born 6/23/2014, and married to heavy metal husband. Working more than full-time, making healthy vegetarian meals for family, and trying to keep up with exercise routine.

Re: 4 mo DS no longer STTN - need solids? growth spurt?

Originally Posted by @llli*filmmommy

Ah, you fell into the trap that I fell into -- thinking that because LO slept through the night early on that it would last!

STTN is a gift from the universe that can be taken back at any time. Babies who STTN early often return to night-waking and night-nursing at around 4 months. In fact, there's a widely used term for this phenomenon: the 4 month sleep regression. I don't really like the term because it implies that the baby is losing ground, rather than returning to a very normal baby sleep pattern. But the fact that there is a common term for this behavior points to how common it is.

So, what do you do? Add solids? CIO? Put baby on a schedule? No, no, and NO! None of those things will change your baby's sleep pattern or need for nighttime calories. So you just roll with it. Nap when the baby naps, if you can!

If your doc recommends solids based on your baby's size, then you're getting outdated, bad information. Solids are not recommended until 6 months regardless of the baby's size. They have fewer calories than breastmilk and will neither increase baby's rate of growth nor make him STTN.

Re: 4 mo DS no longer STTN - need solids? growth spurt?

Thank you both! Filmmommy - maybe it was not going to last, but it was beautiful while it did!
Mommal - I didn't know there was a term for this, but it's reassuring to know it's totally normal.
I'm thinking the doc may suggest solids based on experience from #1 and also other moms/babies in the practice.
I want to wait till at least 6 months to start solids. His head is still bobbly, for pete's sake!

Re: 4 mo DS no longer STTN - need solids? growth spurt?

Also, when my LO started solids at 6 months, it didn't change her sleeping habits at all! The only thing it did was make her pudgy for a little while until she started crawling around and burning off the extra calories (she loooooved some of her foods and still nursed every 2 hours).

Mom to my sweet little "Pooper," born 10/12/11, and "Baby Brother," born 6/23/2014, and married to heavy metal husband. Working more than full-time, making healthy vegetarian meals for family, and trying to keep up with exercise routine.

Re: 4 mo DS no longer STTN - need solids? growth spurt?

Your doctor can "suggest" solids until he is blue in the face, but unless he can provide some reason why your child is a medical exception to the rules (6mo, sitting unsupported, head control, etc.) then you wait, until YOU think he is ready. And the idea that bigger babies need to start solids early is not a medical reason to start spoon feeding babies that can't sit up.

Sorry, I don't have any suggestions for the sleeping thing. Hearing about pediatricians that give antiquated feeding guidelines to their patients gets me a little hot under the collar, so I felt compelled to chime in.

Re: 4 mo DS no longer STTN - need solids? growth spurt?

I hear ya sassypants! Sometimes I nod and smile at the doc knowing I will just keep on doing my own thing.

Filmmommy -when my first son started solids it did not change his sleeping habits one bit, either. Only made him constipated. It's just that so many things are different with #2 - I have more milk, he's been a better sleeper, and he's bigger - that I thought I'd at least ask.

Mommal- napping when baby does - YES - I do try when it's possible! The challenge is getting both kids to sleep at the same time, right??

Re: 4 mo DS no longer STTN - need solids? growth spurt?

Thanks mommal!!
Just a follow-up to this thread: Had doc appt. this morning, and wouldn't you know, DS STTN till 6 a.m., nursed on one side at 6, and I had to wake him at 9 for the appt.!
Everything checked out great, and when the doc brought up the sleeping and feeding, to my surprise he actually encouraged holding off on solids till 6 months at least, unless the baby should stop gaining weight or something else is going on. So glad to know he and I are on the same page! None of the other doctors in the practice were breastfeeding-friendly, so I did not see this coming.
Thanks everyone for the responses!! Love the forum!!